Hydraulically supported balancing machine



March 27, 1945, l Q B, SPASE A 2,372,610

HYDRAULICALLY 'SUPPORTED BALANCING MACHINE Filed March 24, 1943 lil-29 al sa f5 INVENTOR 24 a 27 f5 ama a. 51%? Patented Mar. 27, 1945 HYDRAULIGALLY SUPPORTED BALANCING MACHINE Charles B. Spase, Nedrow, N. Y., assignor to Lipe- Rollway Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York l Application March 24, 1943, Serial No. 480,358 a claims. (cl. 'za-,66)

This invention relatesl to balancing machines, that is, vmachines for determining whether symmetrical articles, as fly wheels, pressure plates, etc., of clutches, and any symmetrical part is out of balance, and has for its object a hydraulic balancing machine in which'the work is supported at its center` on the surface of a body or column of oil or hydraulic huid, and if unbalanced, tilts in the direction of the heavier side, together with means for indicating the tilting movement.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions here-Q inafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the provided with lan upright cylinder or cylindrical portion formed with a passage for a column of oil, means for applying pressure to the oil, a work support or table including a central hub, and a, floating piston on the surface of the oil and having a shank arranged coaxially with said hub and on which the hub is mounted, there being a sufficient annular space around the upper end of the cylinder to permit tilting ofthe work support or table and the hub. n

I designates the base, which is ,here shown as circular in form, and provided with an axial, upwardly extending, cylindrical portion, here shown as a separate cylinder 2 having a passage 'or bore 3 therethrough. 4 designates a work support or table here shown as discoidal and having a cylindrical flange 5 at the rim thereof encircling the edge of the table, this rim having a surface 6 which can bottom on a complemental surface lon the periphery of the base I for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. The table 4 also has a central hub 8 enclosing the upper end of the cylinder 2 and spaced therefrom far enough to permit tilting movement of the table. The hub is assembled to the body of the table `4 in yany suitable manner, and is held aslsembled therewith by suitable screws 9. `The table is also preferably provided with an accurately machined face plate I0 secured thereto as by rivets Illa.

II is a piston resting on the body or column of oil in the cylinder 2, this being preferably a ball, so as to be extremely sensitive to tilting, the ball having ka vertical shank I2 extending axially into the hub 8 and on which the hub 8 is mounted. As here shown, the shank is formed with a spherical socket for fitting over the ball. The ball is preferably secured in the socket, as by brazing or welding. The ball II fits with a very small clearance in the bore or passage 3 of the cylinder 2. The ball, of course, tends to sink or submerge in the oil, but the clearance around the ball is such as to permit a film of oil around the ball and momentarily form a piston packingA long enough to raise the ball and the work, when pumping pressure is applied to the oil, and thus permit the work to tilt, if unbalanced. Heavy oil or oil of high viscosity is used.

The work table or support is Y'accurately balanced and is provided with indicating means to indicate any deflection out of balance, either of the table or of the balanced table with the work thereon, this means being shown as a circular spirit le'vel `I3 `on the lupper end of the hub 8 coaxial therewith, so that when the work table is balanced and the work thereon is also balanced, the bubble of thev spirit level will be in the center thereof. If unbalanced, the heavier side of the work on the table depresses and the bubble will move radially in the opposite direction. It will Vbe understood that initially the table is balanced. If the spirit level shows that the table is unbalanced, the table is brought into balance by removing metal from the heavyv side thereof by drilling or in any other well known manner. Also, when the work is out of balance, it is balanced by removing metal from the heavy side thereof and again tested until the bubble remains at the center of the spirit level.

Pressure is Aapplied to the column of oil in the cylinder 2 lby pump means, here shown as a pump plunger or rod I4 movable in a horizontal bore I5 in the base I and a suitable operating lever I6 on the outside of the base. The lever Iis shown as pivoted at I1 to one end of a link I8, the other end of which is pivoted at I9 to the base, the lever being also pivoted at 20 to the outer end of the plunger or rod I4, The movement of the lever is limited by adjustable stops 20', 2I located on .opposite sides of its pivot I l, which stops coact with the base. The bore I5 communicates through a check valve oontrolled passage 22 with an oil reservoir 23 `formed in the base, to receive oil from the reservoir. It also communicates through an outlet passage 24 and an inlet passage 25 provided at the lower end of the cylinder 2, a suitable .check valve 26 being provided in the passage 24. In order to keep the oil free of air bubbles; thebore I'5 also communicatesv with the inlet 25 of the cylinder 2 through a yby-pass 21 having an adjustable metering valve 28 therein and the bore I5 also' communicates with the reservoir. through a` check valve controlled passage 29 opening into theI bore I5 at a point uncovered rwhen the pump plunger is near the limit of its-retrogradestroke; as indicated in dotted lines; at 30; the check valve 29 being such as to prevent iiow of oil from the reservoir 23 therethrough; but to permit excess oil to Ibe pumped back into the reservoir from the bore I5. The check valve 22 permits the oil to flow from the reservoir 23` into the-bore I5v and is located to be uncovered by thefplunger it at all times. The by-pass 2..'I` communicates through a port 3l with the borei5 located tobe covered: by the plunger Ill after the plunger passes part way on its pumping or power stroke.

Oil passing the ball II overflows through a return passage formed by-a tube 32, this being an annular passage around the upper end of. the cylinder 2 and opening at its lower end into a returnA passage or trough 33l formed in the upper side ofl the base` I. The reservoir and trough have a suitable cover plate 34. having allingplug 35i for the reservoir 23. The cover plate is also.. provided with an upstanding tube 36 surrounding andspaced-from the hub 2 andthe tube v 32l telescopes intothe tube 35. The upper end of the tube 32 has its margins inturned at. 3l and formed. with air vent holes 38. The cover plate 34' is secured in position by screws 34a.

When the work isniounted on the work supportr or table t and centered. on the hub 8 thereof, the table is in its` lower position, in which the surface 3 rests on the surface 'I of the base I. Thecperator then operates thelever I6 to pump oil' into the cylinder 2, thus lifting the table into. the position shown in Figure- 2. If the work is unbalanced, or heavieron one. sidethan on thel other, thework and thetabfle will tilt, owingI to the floating pistonor ball I2I,and the tilting movement indicated by the spirit level I 3. The operator then permitsthe tableto lowerl or. it will lower by reasono the ball II submerg-ing in the oil. Thev lowering ot the tableV `may be facilitated by pulling the` lever it outwardly to release the: oil, pressure andi. permitv the oil to return through the. by-pass 2l. Continued pumping will keep the'I ball, Athe work table andthe work elevated. When the ball sinkszthe table lowers', and the surface B rests on the surface 1, and then metal may be removed by drilling from the heavy'side of the work.`

This machine is usually associated with adrilling press, so that the lheavy portion or work can be quickly brought to the drilling position. However, this feature forrns no part of. this invention. When the lever IS is operated to work the pump plunger Ill, the oil is forced out through the Dassage 2li, past the check valve 26 into the cylinder 2, applying pressure to the ball to elevate the table. Also, oil pressure re-acts past the metering valve 2S, but when the pump plunger I4 is` in its forward or extreme position, as shown in Figure 2. no oil passes' through the by-lass 2'I because the port 3| is covered b'y the plunger I4. When the plunger I4 is retracted to uncover the port 3l and also the port 29, oil will pass through the by-pass into the `bore and also will pass from the reservoir past the check valve 22 into the bore I5. When the lever I6 is again operated to apply pressure to the plunger I4, the excess oil will at first pass lby the check'valve 29 back into the reservoir 23 until the port 29 is covered by the plunger I4. This is a precaution against air i pockets `forming in the ,pump or the oil system.

What I claim is:

l. A balancing machine including a base, a work carrier, the base having a surface for normally supporting the work carrier from tilting latera1ly,.the. base being also provided with an upright passage for a column of oil, the passage being open. at its top,.a piston located in the upper portion of the passage in or on the oil when the carrier is resting on the supporting surface and being arranged in the passage to have a lateral universal rocking movement relatively to the axis of the passage and with sufficient looseness to permit the oil to normally pass the same, and

. torestrict the passage of oil momentarily when the latter; the carrier and the shank tilting' with the piston as the piston. tilts laterally relative to the. axis of. the passage under the unbalanced weight of the Work, and means for applying pressure to the oil. to give it a sudden upward iin-y pulse.

'2. A balancing machine including a base, a work carrier, the base having a surface-'fer normally supporting the Work carrier from tilting laterally, the base being also provided with an upright passage for a column of oil, the passage beingy open at its top, a piston located in the upper portion of the passage in' o1' on the oil when the carrieris resting on the supporting surface and' whereby normally the piston under the weightr thereon sinks in the column of oil and is propelled'upwardl'y when a sudden' pumping impulse is given to the column of oil, said piston having an upwardly extending` shankrigid therewith and connected to the carrier centrally of the latter, the carrier and the shank tilting with the piston as. the piston tilts laterally relative to the axis of thev passage under the unbalanced weight of the work, means for applying pressure. to the oil to give it a sudden upward impulse,v a reservoir supplying the oil tosaid means, and.` overflow passages from the upper endk of said upright passage. to the reservoir for returning the oil passing the piston to the reservoir.

3. A balancing machiney including a base, a work carrier, the base having. a surfacefor normally supporting the work carrier from tilting laterally, the basebeingfalso provided with an uoright passage for a` column of oil, theV passage |being open at its. top; a piston located'in the upper .portion of the passage in` or on the oil` pulse is given to the column of oil, said piston having an upwardly extending shank rigid therewith and connected to the carrier centrally of the latter, the carrier and the shank tilting with the 5 piston as the piston tilts laterally relative to the axis of the passage under the unbalanced Weight of the work, and means for applying pressure to the oil to give it a sudden upward impulse, said when the carrier is resting on the supporting surface and being arranged in the passage to have a. lateral universal rocking movement relatively to the axis of the passage and with suicent looseness to permit the oil to normally Apass the same, and to restrict the passage of oil momentarily when the oil is given a sudden upward pumping impulse, whereby normally the piston under the weight thereon sinks in the column of oil and is propelled upwardly when a sudden pumping impiston being spherical. 

